Educational Games for Kids

Educational Games for Kids

If you’re searching for things to do on Long Island with kids, Your Local Kids has some great, educational ideas to keep your children occupied during Winter Break and beyond. All of the below activities can be adjusted to suit your child’s age and ability, so be sure to use your judgment to determine which ones will be most beneficial.

Treasure Hunt

Use index cards or small pieces of paper, and write questions with corresponding answers on two separate pieces. For younger kids, you may choose to do something simple such as upper and lowercase letters, colors, or basic math equations. For older kids, you can choose vocabulary words or study questions. Hide them around the house, and make a list of clues to help guide them. To start them off, hand them the first card. When they tell you the correct answer, read them off the next clue from your list; and have them locate the next card. If you are having your child match letters or colors, have the corresponding cards spread out in a central location for your child to locate the correct match. Repeat the process until they have located all cards. Make the final clue the most challenging one, and have it lead to the ‘Treasure Chest’, which you can construct out of paper. For an added reward, you can write a special privilege on the back, such as ’10 Extra Minutes of Television’, or ‘Movie Day with Mom’.

Coin Math

A fun idea to help children practice basic math skills and become familiar with money is to have them sort coins. Label paper plates or bowls with the names of each coin, and spread your spare change on a flat surface. Have them sort coins by type, and quiz them on how much each one is worth. Encourage children to add the total amount of each coin, and all of the change total once sorted. To take the activity further, you can gather some old circulars you received from local grocery stores; and have your child identify items that could be purchased with the money before them.

Earth Activity

To help your child learn about recycling, you can gather empty containers and packages you have at home, and spread them out for your child to sort through. Label three bags or containers ‘Trash’, ‘Recycle’ and ‘Reuse’. Have your child identify which container each item would go in, and why. Discuss with them the importance of reducing waste and recycling.

Story Starter

Gather family photos or cut out pictures from a magazine for younger children, or write sentences on paper for older kids. Have your child use their imagination to start a short story, or create a caption for a picture. They can write it or speak it, but they have to keep it relevant. Encourage them to be as imaginative as possible, and feel free to join in and help them continue the story!

For other exciting excursions outside the home, check out our directory of open play Long Island, and keep up to date with our blog.